A breakthrough role, also known as a breakout role, is a term in the

film industry The film industry or motion picture industry comprises the technological and commercial institutions of filmmaking, i.e., film production companies, film studios, cinematography, animation, film production, screenwriting, pre-production, ...

to describe the performance of an actor or actress which contributed significantly to the development of their career and beginning of critical recognition. The similar term "big break" indicates the occurrence for the performer and not the role itself. Such a moment in an actor's career may often occur some time after they begin acting, as their roles become more substantial. A breakthrough role is often a significant increase in importance in the actor's part in the film, such as moving up from a minor character to one of the main cast or a "high impact" role in a film which has mainstream success and results in the actor's widespread recognition and popularity. A breakthrough performance has also been defined as one which "attracts the attention of film critics, or receives rave reviews and is subsequently nominated for many major film awards". Most notable performers throughout the film and television industry can pinpoint the role which marked the beginning of their commercial success. For example, the ''Dollars'' trilogy was the breakthrough role of

Clint Eastwood Clinton Eastwood Jr. (born May 31, 1930) is an American actor and film director. After achieving success in the Western TV series '' Rawhide'', he rose to international fame with his role as the " Man with No Name" in Sergio Leone's "'' Do ...

, while

Sean Connery Sir Sean Connery (born Thomas Connery; 25 August 1930 – 31 October 2020) was a Scottish actor. He was the first actor to portray fictional British secret agent James Bond on film, starring in seven Bond films between 1962 and 1983. Origina ...

's came with the

James Bond The ''James Bond'' series focuses on a fictional British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short-story collections. Since Fleming's death in 1964, eight other authors hav ...

film '' Dr. No'', despite both actors having appeared in several films prior to this. Lord Rohan in ''

The Man in Grey ''The Man in Grey'' is a 1943 British film melodrama made by Gainsborough Pictures; it is considered to be the first of a series of period costume dramas now known as the "Gainsborough melodramas". It was directed by Leslie Arliss and produc ...

'' has been cited as James Mason's breakthrough performance. The television film adaptation of ''

Gideon's Trumpet ''Gideon's Trumpet'' is a 1964 book by Anthony Lewis describing the story behind the 1963 landmark court case ''Gideon v. Wainwright'', in which the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that criminal defendants have the right to an attorney ...

'' has been referenced as

Lane Smith Walter Lane Smith III (April 29, 1936 – June 13, 2005) was an American actor. His well-known roles included newspaper editor Perry White in the ABC series '' Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman'', Walter Warner in ''Son in Law'', coll ...

's breakthrough role, despite lacking a theatrical release. Similarly, the BBC series '' Pennies from Heaven'' has been highlighted as the breakthrough of

Bob Hoskins Robert William Hoskins (26 October 1942 – 29 April 2014) was an English actor. His work included lead roles in films and television series such as '' Pennies from Heaven'' (1978), ''The Long Good Friday'' (1980), ''Mona Lisa'' (1986), ''Who ...

Brandon Lee Brandon Bruce Lee (February 1, 1965 – March 31, 1993) was an American actor and martial artist. Establishing himself as a rising action star in the early 1990s, he landed his breakthrough role as Eric Draven in the dark fantasy film ''The ...

's starring role in '' The Crow'' has been cited as his breakout, though it was also his final film as he died when a prop gun malfunctioned on the set of the film.

Awards

'' Hollywood Life'', the

Teen Choice Awards The Teen Choice Awards is an annual awards show that airs on the Fox television network. The awards honor the year's biggest achievements in music, film, sports, television, fashion, social media, and more, voted by viewers living in the United ...

, and several others give awards for best "Movie Breakout" for both an actress and actor.

References

{{Reflist

External links

6 Actors Defined By Their Breakout Roles
at '' Maxim''.
Stars' surprising breakout movie roles
at '' Teen Vogue'' Film and video terminology